I’ve been running on the trails behind my house for around 8 years. It’s a short trail network along the Merrimack River, and it’s a favorite spot for dog walkers and families. I’ve grown accustomed to dogs being off-leash over the years, and I often run with my own dog (a black lab named Jack) on these trails. Until last week, I’ve never had an issue with a dog causing trouble. Most are content to give a sniff and go on their way. Some will chase Jack and play for a bit. None have ever be threatening to me or Jack.

On Christmas Day 2015 I decided to head out for a 4 mile run to help burn off the endless supply of cookies that enters my home around this time every year. I headed out along my usual route, piecing together stretches of road and some short trails. There is one trail loop, only about 1/3 of a mile long, that I frequently add on to pad distance. It was on this loop that my incident occurred.

I was running along the trail and noticed a couple walking in front of me with their dog. an older looking German Shepherd. The dog was off-leash, but I didn’t think anything of it. I’ve passed by people walking dogs off-leash there countless times, and have never had a problem.

My usual practice is to try and make some noise as I approach walkers. This is more for their safety than mine – I often startle people when I pass them from behind and they don’t hear me coming. I scuffed the leaves on the ground, cleared my throat loudly a few times, but they didn’t seem to notice. Perhaps I should have been more deliberate in letting them know I was there.

I passed the couple on the left, and then passed by their dog. The next few moments are a bit hazy in my memory, probably because I was shocked by what happened. The dog apparently bolted at me from behind (chase instinct I suppose), and latched its jaws around my right thigh, just above the knee. I think the owners shouted at the dog, and it came back to them. Thankfully the damage was limited to a single bite.

I looked down at my leg and saw blood streaming down my calf and into my shoe. Oddly, my first thought was to shut off my Garmin (2 miles exactly!). My second thought was “Damn, how am I going to finish my run?” Only then did it register that blood was really gushing down my leg, I had a one-inch-long hole in the skin above my inner knee, and another gash on the back of my thigh.

I somewhat regret my next reaction, which was to start cursing the owners profusely and loudly. I’m not generally a confrontational person, but I was pissed, and in the heat of the moment my temper got the better of me. I yelled at them for having the dog off-leash given that it was willing to attack like that. They apologized profusely and the woman gave me some tissues to soak up the blood. For some reason the guy put his hand on my cut and pulled it away, covered in blood. I still feel bad about my reaction, though I suppose in the moment it was understandable.

Lots of blood!

After calming down a bit, I asked if they had a phone so I could call my wife to pick me up. After she arrived, they gave me their contact information and told me they would meet me at the ER. Given that I could see fat poking out through the wounds, I suspected that stitches were going to be needed. I wasn’t really sure what else to do – call the police? Call my insurance company? We decided to just head over to the ER and figure it out there.

The hospital ER was more crowded than I anticipated it would be on Christmas. Several people were there for knife cuts (carving injuries?), and one woman came in with a laceration from a broken wine glass. My wife called the police, and they told us that we definitely needed to file a report. They sent an officer over, and she listened to my story and collected my info. She then contacted the dog owners, who showed up shortly afterward.

The officer confirmed that the dog was up to date on its rabies shot, a fact that the nurse would later tell me was the best thing that happened for me that day (apparently rabies shots are not at all fun…). She told us that the owners would be fined, and that the fines would increase if another incident with the same dog occurred in the future (not sure how many offenses are allowed in my town…). I feel it’s important to report incidents like this both to help deter recurrences, and to protect others who might be attacked by a dangerous dog (I kept thinking “What if I don’t call the cops and this dog winds up biting a kid next? A kid whose face is at the height of my thigh…”).

Gash on inner thigh, and you can just make out the other on the back of the thigh. Both all the way through the skin into the fat.

After the officer left, the dog owners reported that they had called their insurance company and filed a claim to cover my medical bills. They were very cooperative, and were obviously upset about what had happened. For that I give them credit.

The thing that really bothered me was that in the course of our conversation they told me their dog “doesn’t like people,” and that they had chosen that trail because they never see any people on it. Never mind that I run that trail all the time, and often see families walking on it, but the idea that a dog that doesn’t like people is allowed to walk off-leash in a public area really angers me. If you know that your dog has issues with people, it should never be off-leash.

I waited about 2 hours to be seen, and once I was taken in things moved along pretty quickly. The doc rinsed the wounds out with saline (made quite a mess!), and I wound up with two stitches in each gash (see photo below). She told me that I couldn’t run again until I got the stitches removed, which would be about 10 days (this was probably the worst part about the whole experience!). I also received a prescription for an antibiotic to ward off any infections that might be caused by bacteria in the dog’s mouth.

Two stitches in each bite wound, and a rainbow of colors on my leg.

I’m now 4 days out from the bite, and although the skin on my leg is turing all kinds of lovely colors, I seem to have avoided infection so far, and the wounds are starting to heal. I’m in the process of trying to sort out insurance coverage so I don’t have to pay the medical bills, and I’ll update if anything odd happens with that.

It seems like the typical pattern that whenever I start to get my running mojo flowing, something happens to derail it. I was on target for my highest mileage week in quite awhile when this happened, so the unexpected break came at an inopportune time. On the plus side the damage could have been much worse, so there’s that, and I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to run again sometime next week.

Based on my experience, if I have any pieces of advice for runners who frequently encounter dogs on their runs, they would be:

1. If you are approaching a dog from behind, be deliberate and make the owners (and the dog I suppose) aware that you are coming. My guess is that they would have leashed the dog had they known I was there. I suppose it’s also possible that the dog would not have charged if it had noticed me prior to passing by.

2. Everything happened so fast that I don’t think having mace or another animal deterrent would have done much good. I suppose if I had been approaching from the front and a growling dog was charging at me I might have been able to react, but not sure on that.

3. Do report any biting incident to the police, no matter how minor (unless maybe it’s a puppy nip kind of thing). Keep in mind that the next bite could be more serious, and the victim could be a child. Dog attacks need to be documented, and owners should be held responsible. For example, we have a vicious dog on our street – it bit a neighbor and the dog is now confined to the house. I think it took a threat from the owner’s insurance company that their insurance would be revoked to actually result in a change in behavior. That being said, I’m still nervous whenever I pass the house and the dog is leaping at the inside of their screen door.

4. Get the owners to pay your medical bills. You should not have to pay for damage done by an uncontrolled pet. Get the owner’s name, address, phone number if an incident happens. Suggest that they call their insurance company, and call your own insurance as well. Involve the police. As I said above, I’m still working through this with my insurance company, but I’m hopeful that the bills will all be covered.

5. Don’t let the actions of one bad dog (or bad owners) ruin your opinion of the animals. I’m a dog lover, and will continue to run on those trails, even though off-leash dogs are normal there. I will probably be more careful, particularly when approaching from behind, but I know that the vast majority of dogs that I see are harmless and would rather run along with me than chew on my leg.

6. Be a responsible dog owner. I’m not really opposed to allowing a well-trained, obedient dog off-leash if an area allows it, but it’s a matter of knowing your animal. If you know that your dog dislikes people, has a history of being aggressive towards people or other dogs, or does not respond to verbal commands, it should never be off leash in a public place.  A poorly trained or aggressive dog can do some serious damage, and that damage could result in a very expensive series of medical bills that you may be responsible for (as well as hefty fines).

If you have any stories of your own to share, feel free to leave a comment. In particular, any helpful advice on how to deal with a dog encounter would be much appreciated!

“I know what you’re about to do.”

My sister just sent me a link to a video of another dog who likes to run. Check it out – videos like this can’t help but make me smile!

Bryan and Kaia from Foxwood Films on Vimeo.

Jack loves the snow, and he loves to run. The combination makes for a vary happy dog (and a very happy dad!).

Jack showing off his snow running skills!

Fortunately, I don’t think Jack feels pain (he is a black lab after all), and he showed no ill effects while we were running. However, the blood spattered on my shoes indicated that it must have been coming out pretty good while we were out there. Thankfully, after a short trip to the animal hospital he’s all bandaged up and has been prescribed a few good days of R&R – looks like I’m going to be on my ow out on the roads for a bit. Here’s wishing Jack a speedy recovery!

I’m now intrigued by the belt harnesses used in these canicross races, and am tempted to take the plunge and buy one for my runs with Jack. Little did I know that there is a huge diversity of hands-free leashes on the market. There was even a review of 5 hands-free leashes in the New York Times last year. Based on that article, I’ve honed in on two potential options, both pictured below:

First is the Larz Z-Hands Free Leash. The product description from the Larz website reads:

Z-Hands Free Leash
“Our hands free dog leash is perfect for sports such as running, jogging, walking, hiking, or just out for a comfortable walk around the neighborhood. This leash combines all of the advantages of our handled leash, with a super wide, padded hip belt that allows your dog, or dogs, to change which side of you they are walk on, without dragging you around.

The flex section adds to the performance of this product, and is included in a flex size for your dog. Perfect for absorbing the interaction between you and your dog as you walk, run, or just explore. This is the best hands free leash on the market. It comes with a Z-Handle that rides on board of the Z-Hands Free Belt with the extension webbing section so that you can switch to a handled leash with ease.“

The second product is called The Buddy System. Here are the product details from the Buddy System website:

The Buddy System
“The Buddy System is designed for the comfort, convenience and safety of you and your pet. It has unique leash and collar attachments that allow you to easily release and reconnect your pet. These attachments also allow you to stow the leash out of your way when not in use. (You NEVER have to carry the leash.) The Buddy System is available in the standard version and now a light weight version designed specifically for smaller dogs. Here are some useful hints to help you get the most out of the special features of this leash system.

The Belt
The Belt is 1″ wide and attaches around your waist. The belt is adjustable

Leash Attachments
Two webbing loops with female quick release mechanisms are suspended from the belt. The loops are designed to be moved anywhere along the perimeter of the belt.

These loops serve as the leash attachments to the belt for either end of the leash. When the leash is not attached to your pet, simply click the unused end into the unused loop attachment and the leash is out of the way, but, still handy when you need it.

You can also adjust how the leash hangs on the belt when not in use by sliding the webbing loops along the belt. The loops can be side by side so the leash is dangling or slide them apart to wrap the leash around your waist.

The Leash
The Leash has two male quick release mechanisms. One of the mechanisms attaches to a webbing loop on the belt. The other attaches to The Buddy System Collar Attachment or to the remaining webbing loop on the belt when not attached to your pet via the Collar Attachment.

Like the belt, the length of the leash is also adjustable ( see System Specs ). The width and the weight of the leash come in two different sizes ( see System Specs ).

The Collar Attachment
The Collar Attachment has a female quick release mechanism and a swivel hook. The quick release attaches to the leash and the swivel hook attaches to your pets collar or harness.“

Both of these products received good reviews from the NY Times article mentioned above, but they differ in several ways. The Larz system comes with a padded belt (appealing since my dog is very strong) and is pitched as being specially designed to avoid injury to your dog, whereas the Buddy System is a simpler design (this was the top choice in the NYT article). Prices also differ: $26.00 for the Buddy System, $56 for the Larz system (this one has more modular components).

If anyone reading this post has experience with either of these products, or a better suggestion on a hands-free leash, I’d love to hear from you – you can leave a comment below!

1. First and foremost, I want to emphasize that I am neither a dog expert nor a veterinarian. Everything I write below comes either from research and reading done on-line, or through my direct experience running with my own dog. Always check with your vet first if you have any questions about taking your dog running with you – some dog breeds are better suited for running than others and it pays to ask questions and do breed research to avoid any potential harm.

2. All domestic dog breeds are ultimately derived from the wild Gray Wolf – this fact is indisputable. According to Wikipedia, the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a “domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf,” and Animal Diversity Web reports that their “basic morphology…no matter how modified, is that of their wild ancestors, gray wolves.” For those wishing to dig deeper, scientific papers on the origin of the domestic dog include Vila et al., 1999 and Parker et al., 2004. According to the latter paper, over 400 breeds of domestic dog have been described, and most of these have existed for fewer than 400 years.

Image via Wikipedia

Being derived from the Gray Wolf, dogs are natural born runners. Animal Diversity Web reports that “Wolf movements are usually at night and cover long distances. Daily distance traveled can be up to 200 km, the usual pace is 8 km/hr. Wolves can run at speeds up to 55 to 70 km/hr.” Although some dog breeds are obviously better suited to running than others (i.e., you probably wouldn’t want to marathon train with a Bulldog or Dachshund – but look at this little guy motor), the ability and desire to run is in their genes.

3. A variety of dog breeds can make excellent running partners. Based on a number of sites that I visited, working/herding/sporting dogs are most frequently recommended, including such breeds as Retrievers (Golden and Labrador), Border Collies, German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, Collies, Shelties, and Heelers. For a longer list, view this list of “excellent jogging companions” from the Dog Breed Info Center.

Of course, if you’re looking to get a dog, there is much more to choosing a breed than its running ability -for example, some high-energy breeds might not make the best family pets, and probably would not be best suited for life in a small apartment. Your best bet is to do your research, visit sites like the webpage of the American Kennel Club, and find a breed that is best suited to your lifestyle.

Personally, I have a black lab (Jack), and he is both the perfect family pet and a great running partner. He has a lot of energy, but as long as he gets a good walk or run in each day, or a nice play session with his best doggy buddy (a Boxer) across the street, he is a model pet. Best of all, I have 2 small kids and he is excellent with them – there’s nothing more enjoyable than watching Jack and my 5-year old son race around the house with a tug rope!

4. Dogs, like people, need to ease into running. If you were to go for a run for the first time in a year, you probably wouldn’t head out for 5 miles – the same thing applies to a dog. If you are a regular distance runner, ease your dog into running gradually to build up his/her stamina. My dog has run as many as 7 miles in one go with me, though on a cool day he could probably go farther. It took some time to get him to this point (he’s only 2 years old), and a gradual build-up helped.

Image via Wikipedia

5. Although I have read some conflicting reports on this, most sources suggest holding off on running long distances with a puppy until it is mature (around 1 year for most breeds, though this is variable). The reasoning for this is that it takes some time for the skeleton to mature and for the growth plates in the limbs to close, and waiting is a precaution for avoiding any long-term skeletal damage. Incidentally, potential for growth plate damage is one of the same arguments for why humans children should not run marathons (e.g., see this article from the Chicago Tribune).

6. Be wary of the temperature as dogs are very susceptible to overheating. Dogs cannot sweat like humans can, and heat is dissipated primarily through panting and via the paws. In hot weather, it’s very easy for a dog to overheat, and hyperthermia can be life threatening. Anything above 80 degrees or so is too hot for my dog, and high humidity at cooler temperatures can also be a problem. My rule of thumb is that if Jack looks lethargic in the backyard, it’s too hot to take him for a run – he’s better off resting in the shade (or inside) than risking his life running in the heat. On runs when it’s cooler, I still make sure to get him a swim or drink on a regular basis- usually every 2-3 miles. We have the advantage of living near a river, so usually I’ll plan a route to include a swim stop, which is a great way to keep him cool. I also make mental notes of roadside stream locations for drinks – a cool, hydrated dog will make a much better, and healthier, running partner than a hot, dehydrated one.

According to an article titled “Train With Your Dog” from Runner’s World, signs that your dog might be overheating include “slowing down, an extremely lolling tongue, possible foaming at the mouth and glazed eyes. The dog may become weak and wobbly or even collapse.” Should your dog appear to be overheating, don’t push it, and try to cool him/her down immediately. Submerging the dog in water is a frequently cited suggestion for cooling a dog down, and if a water body is not nearby, pouring water on the dog’s abdomen is another (it’s always a good idea to carry water when running with a dog).

On the other side of the temperature spectrum, dogs are great cold-weather runners. Jack is a completely different dog in the winter, and he seems like he could run forever up here in frosty New Hampshire. One of his favorite activities in winter is to go snowshoeing through the woods with me – he gets to go off-leash and bounding through snow-drifts is pure doggy joy!

Image via Wikipedia

7. Always leash your dog when near roads. It took me a while to train Jack to run by my side (he was a major puller when we first started), but even now that he does, he’ll still try to bolt at the site of a cat or squirrel (it’s his instinct as a retriever). If he was off-leash, I’m certain that he would not look both ways to see if there were any cars in the road. I’d much rather deal with a sore shoulder as I reel him in than an encounter with a car, so leashing is a must when we run near roads.

Once we hit the trails, I’ll usually let him run free. He’s pretty good about not bothering people on the trail, and he will only briefly stop to greet other dogs that he encounters (we use a major dog-walking trail near my house, and most of the dogs we encounter are also off-leash). I think that run-walking is more of the natural mode for dogs, and when off-leash Jack will bound off down the trail and then either wait for me to catch up or trot back until he’s by my side – he loves it, and I like to give him the freedom of being off-leash as long as he is well behaved.

8. Last but not least, dogs need exercise. I’ll probably add to this post as more ideas come to me, but I really want to emphasize that an exercised dog is a happy dog. The joy that my Jack derives from running is obvious, and his excitement when he sees me putting on my running shoes is one of my greatest sources of motivation for getting out the door when I don’t feel like running. Just like in humans, obesity is extremely unhealthy for a dog, and walking or jogging with your pet is one of the best ways to keep them healthy. I also feel bad for the dogs we occasionally pass while running that are chained to poles by short leashes, or penned in small chain-link cages. Dogs are meant to be free and run, so do yourself and your dog a favor by becoming a dog runner!

Below are a few of the helpful sources of information I found while researching this post:

Train With Your Dog: See Spot Run. See Dick run. See Jane run, too. What fun they’re having. By Renee Despres (Runner’s World)
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-369-370–11951-0,00.html

Running With Your Best Friend, by JulieAnne White (SlowTwitch.com)
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/coachcorn/rundogs.html

Running with the Dogs, by Runner Susan (the CompleteRunning Blog Network)
http://completerunning.com/archives/2006/12/11/running-with-the-dogs/

Running with dogs, by Paul Gains (Dogs in Canada)
http://www.dogsincanada.com/running-with-dogs

Safety Tips for Running with Your Dog (Run the Planet)
http://www.runtheplanet.com/trainingracing/training/dogs/dogrun.asp

Running and Jogging with Your Dog, by Alex Lieber (PetPlace.com)
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/running-and-jogging-with-your-dog/page1.aspx

Running With Your Best Friend, by JulieAnne White (Slowtwitch.com)
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/coachcorn/rundogs.html

I plan to update this post in the future as I gather more information on running with dogs. In the meantime, if you have any tips or thoughts about dog running that you’d like to add, please leave a comment.

The one problem I have in terms of running with Jack is that, like most dogs, he doesn’t tolerate heat very well (having a black coat in the sun doesn’t help). On hot, humid days, he prefers to park himself in a shady spot and sleep, so my expectation going into this summer was that I wouldn’t be running with him very much. However, the weather gods seem to have decided that summer is going to be skipped this year in NH, and the cool rainy weather has necessitated that Jack get his exercise in ways other than tearing up the soggy yard with his doggy buddies.

As a result of the dreariness, Jack has become a fixture on my daily runs. Unless I plan to do intervals or some other form of speedwork, I have generally taken him with me. He’s become a model running dog (unless he sees a squirrel, cat, turkey, or a pile of rotting food, in which case I risk losing an arm!), and generally stays by my side while on-leash. Most days, we head down to a trail by the Merrimack River where he can run free, and river swims help to keep him cool and allow him to get a nice mid-run drink. I now have a pretty good mental checklist of where streams are along the roadside so we can stop for a drink on our various routes if needed, and I try to shoot for 1 drink/swim for every three miles of dog running.

The big news for Jack as a running dog is that he just completed his first 20+ mile week! All told, Jack and I ran 23.21 miles together this week, and it’s getting to the point where I feel guilty not taking him with me on every run because he seems to love it so much. We’re still working on the whole pooping on the run thing (him, not me – see my previous Jack post), but I don’t know if there is any real solution to this problem other than to grin and bear it. My next goal is to find a race where we can run together – this would be a load of fun, and a great way for me to further bond with my best running bud!

With every running partner, there are always some quirks that you have to live with, and mine is no different. For example, he loves to swim but he hates puddles, and will stop dead if we encounter one on the road or trail (it’s particularly bad during spring snow-melt here in New Hampshire). This has resulted a number of times in me crashing into him, tripping, and landing in the puddle myself (soaked shoes are no fun when the temperature is in the 30’s). He also has problems keeping a steady pace, preferring rather to sprint ahead, stop, and wait for me to catch up while trail running (I guess he likes to fartlek). Perhaps the most annoying habit that my running partner has is that he can’t seem to understand that we would all be happier if he would take care of all bowel movements before we leave the house. No, he prefers to wait until about 1/4 mile into our runs, where he stops on a dime and relieves himself on the nearest patch of grass (a whole different kind of fartlek). As you can imagine, this is very embarrassing, and I imagine quite comical to watch if you happen to observe him doing his business and me standing nearby cursing under my breath while waiting for him to hurry and finish up.

Quirks aside, my running partner is as loyal as can be, and I’ll hopefully be running with him for years to come. His name is Jack (of the picture shown above), he’s a 90 pound black lab (composed of pure muscle), and he more than anyone else makes sure that I don’t skip out on my runs. For that, and although our relationship does have its rough patches, I will forever love him.